A Kern County jury on Tuesday convicted Tony Reyes, 43, of two counts of attempted murder, assault with a semi-automatic firearm, and shooting at an occupied vehicle stemming from a 2021 incident.
Prosecutors said that on the evening of January 5, 2021, a mother and her juvenile daughter witnessed a crash at the intersection of Wilson Road and South H Street involving a silver BMW driven by Reyes.
Reyes immediately fled the scene. When the woman attempted to continue driving, she later spotted the same BMW parked near Custer Avenue and South H Street. The DA reported that Reyes exited his vehicle and ran toward the victims’ moving car while armed with two firearms.
He fired multiple rounds at close range, with at least one bullet striking the front passenger window near where the juvenile was seated. Fortunately, neither victim sustained life-threatening injuries.
Later that evening, witnesses reported a “suspicious” silver BMW parked on Marshall Street, showing clear signs of a crash. Officers learned that Reyes admitted to witnesses that he had been drinking and had been involved in the earlier crash. Evidence confirmed he was driving the BMW at the time.
DA Cynthia Zimmer said, “Those who act recklessly and inflict violence on families within the community must be dealt with to the fullest extent of the law. It is a miracle that neither victim suffered life-threatening injuries, but the trauma of this incident is one they will carry for a lifetime.”
The jury also found that Reyes personally used and discharged the firearm.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 26, 2026, where Reyes faces a prison term of seven years to life.